Aster plant named ‘Kiastlavmi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Aster  plant named ‘Kiastlavmi’, characterized by its compact, upright, uniform and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; semi-double type inflorescences with violet-colored ray florets; and tolerance to mildew.

Botanical designation: Aster dumosus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘KIASTLAVMI’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Aster plant, botanically known as Aster dumosus and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Kiastlavmi’.

The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Aster plants with uniform growth habit, freely branching habit, attractive and numerous ray florets and tolerance to mildew.

The new Aster plant originated from a cross-pollination in 2005, in Gensingen, Germany of Aster dumosus ‘Kristina’, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Aster dumosus identified as code number 08-15-4711, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Aster plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Gensingen, Germany in September, 2006.

Asexual reproduction of the new Aster plant by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment in Gensingen, Germany in 2007. Asexual reproduction by vegetative tip cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Aster plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Aster have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Kiastlavmi’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Kiastlavmi’ as a new and distinct Aster plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, uniform and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Semi-double type inflorescences with violet-colored ray         florets.     -   4. Tolerance to mildew.

Plants of the new Aster differ from plants of the female parent, ‘Kristina’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aster are more compact than plants of         ‘Kristina’.     -   2. Plants of the new Aster are more rounded than plants of         ‘Kristina’.     -   3. Plants of the new Aster and ‘Kristina’ differ in ray floret         color as plants of ‘Kristina’ have white-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Aster differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aster are smaller than plants of the male         parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Aster flower earlier than plants of the         male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Aster and male parent selection differ in         ray floret color as plants of male parent selection have lighter         colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Aster can be compared to plants of ‘Sapphire’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Gensingen, Germany, plants of the new Aster differed from plants of ‘Sapphire’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aster were more compact than plants of         ‘Sapphire’.     -   2. Plants of the new Aster and ‘Sapphire’ differed in ray floret         color as plants of ‘Sapphire’ had lighter colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Aster can be compared to plants of ‘Professor Anton Kippenberg’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Gensingen, Germany, plants of the new Aster differed from plants of ‘Professor Anton Kippenberg’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aster were more compact than plants of         ‘Professor Anton Kippenberg’.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Aster had more ray         florets than inflorescences of plants of ‘Professor Anton         Kippenberg’.     -   3. Plants of the new Aster and ‘Professor Anton Kippenberg’         differed in ray floret color as plants of ‘Professor Anton         Kippenberg’ had lighter colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Aster plant. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Aster plant.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Kiastlavmi’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Kiastlavmi’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 10-cm containers during the summer in an outdoor nursery in Loudon, N.H. and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial potted Aster production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 21° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from 7° C. to 18° C. Plants were pinched one time and were ten weeks old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fifth Edition, 2007, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Aster dumosus ‘Kiastlavmi’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Aster dumosus ‘Kristina’, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Aster             dumosus identified as code number 08-15-4711, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About six to eight days at             temperatures of 18° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About eight to twelve days             at temperatures of 18° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 18 days             at average temperatures of 18° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 22 days             at average temperatures of 18° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; moderately             dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Semi-double type Aster; compact and upright             growth habit; inverted triangle with uniformly mounded             crown; freely branching growth habit with about three             primary lateral branches each with about six to eight             secondary lateral branches; dense and full plants; vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 25 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 31 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length, primary lateral branches: About             25 cm. Length, secondary lateral branches: About 16 cm.             Diameter: About 4 mm. Internode length: About 1.5 cm.             Strength: Strong. Texture, developing stems: Scattered             pubescence. Texture, developed stems: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Close to N137A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length, lower leaves.—About 6.7 cm.         -   Width, lower leaves.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Shape.—Oblanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate; clasping.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation,             close to 146C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 146A; venation, close to 146C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Semi-double type inflorescence form with             lanceolate-shaped ray florets; inflorescences terminal and             axillary and held above and beyond the foliar plane on             strong peduncles; ray and disc florets arranged acropetally             on a capitulum.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower             in the late summer through the autumn in the Northern             Hemisphere.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about five to             seven days on the plant; inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About             8 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Towards the apex, close to 90B;             towards the base, close to 155A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.8 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.4 cm. Diameter of disc: About 1 cm. Receptacle             height: About 8 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 5 mm.             Receptacle color: Close to 137B.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 2.2 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Orientation: Initially upright, then close to perpendicular             to peduncle; apices recurve with development. Number of ray             florets per inflorescence: About 68 arranged in about three             to four whorls. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to             85A. When opening, lower surface: Close to 85B. Fully             opened, upper surface: Close to N87C; color resists fading.             Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 85C; color resists             fading.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.             Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Length: About             1.1 cm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 50. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             immature: Apex: Close to 14C. Mid-section: Close to 2C.             Base: Close to 2D. Color, mature: Apex: Close to 2D.             Mid-section: Close to 11D. Base: Close to 11D.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 70             arranged in about four to six whorls. Length: About 5 mm.             Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Narrowly lanceolate. Apex: Acute.             Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces:             Close to 137B.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 3.4 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 2.8 cm. Length, seventh peduncle:             About 5.1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle: Upright to 45°             from vertical. Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 137B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Filament length: About 4 mm. Filament color: Close to             157C. Anther shape: Narrowly elongated. Anther length: About             2 mm. Anther color: Close to 2B. Pollen amount: None             observed. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets.             Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma             color: Close to 157B. Style length: About 4 mm. Style color:             Close to 157D. Ovary color: Close to NN155B.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Tolerance to mildew has been observed on     plants of the new Aster. Resistance to pests and other pathogens     common to Asters has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Aster have been observed to be     rain and wind tolerant and to tolerate temperatures from about 0° C.     to about 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Aster plant named ‘Kiastlavmi’ as illustrated and described. 